Mayor wants Saints in San Antonio

this is a discussion within the Saints Community Forum; Mayor wants Saints in San Antonio
Web Posted: 10/17/2005 12:00 AM CDT
Tom Orsborn
Express-News Staff Writer
Laying aside all pretenses about the city's interest in the New Orleans Saints, Mayor Phil Hardberger said Sunday he plans to pursue actively ...

Laying aside all pretenses about the city's interest in the New Orleans Saints, Mayor Phil Hardberger said Sunday he plans to pursue actively the permanent relocation of the team to San Antonio. Hardberger said Saints owner Tom Benson has agreed to participate in discussions, likely at the end of the current season, aimed at making the team the "San Antonio Saints" before the start of the 2006 season.
"He (Benson) understands that we will sit down and talk," Hardberger said while attending Sunday's Saints-Atlanta Falcons game at the Alamodome. "That is his desire as well. I'm pretty comfortable in saying he wants to be here."

the mayor is a freaking jerk. I saw that clown before the game in the tailgate area. Particular areas of note in the article also are:

Hardberger reiterated that he's against using city funds to build a new stadium for the Saints but said he would welcome state assistance.

Perry indicated he's open to the idea.

"If and when the Saints decide to move, San Antonio and the surrounding area would be an ideal location," Perry said. "And the question of whether there is local or state support is, without a doubt, in the affirmative."

Governor's on board with pursuing the team, and will provide aid in doing so. also:

Other dignitaries in the Benson suite included the mayors of Austin and Laredo and state Sen. Jeff Wentworth, R-San Antonio.

In Benson's suite? Mayors of Austin and Laredo? Close proximity to San Antonio? Not good.

Yeah The NFL is going to let Benson move a team from a small market to another small market who can't sale out the alamodome... Fans even letting people know where there support is by wearing Cowboy jersey's to Saints Home games yeah ok. At least wear Falcon and or Saints jersay to Falcon/Saints games not freakin Cowboys, way to show you would support another NFL team.

Um, the game was sold out since last week. What are you talking about?

And last I checked, they are still the New Orleans Saints. Not the San Antonio Saints. They are not playing in thier home city. What does it matter what jerseys people wear, as long as they but a ticket. I tell you what, those "Cowboys" fans were cheering for the Saints. ALL the players who have been interviewed following the game said it felt like a home crowd, and they were happy to be there. Gandy, Brooks, Conwell, etc.

Third, cause the commissioner says it's a small market, due to his hard of for LA, doesn't make it one. All that matters is if the games will sell out. The Saints need to stay in New Orleans, but for the right reasons, not for false blabbering.

You'd think it would be getting hard for San Antonio mayor Phil Hardberger to talk with Tom Benson's hand in his ass.

But Benson and Hardberger are turning out to be an effective Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy (or is it Mortimer Snerd?) combination when trying to finagle a permanent move of the Saints from New Orleans to the Alamodome.

Before the season, Benson raised the possibility of relocating from one undersized market unable to sell out a stadium on a regular basis in a state with no other NFL franchises to another undersized market unable to sell out a stadium on a regular basis in a state with two other NFL franchises. Now, with the NFL effectively muzzling Benson, the message is being disseminated by his good buddy Hardberger.

"He [Benson] understands that we will sit down and talk," Hardberger said during Sunday's Saints-Falcons game, which he viewed from Benson's suite. "That is his desire as well. I'm pretty comfortable in saying he wants to be here."

In case anyone misunderstood that, Mayor McCarthy gave it another shot: "I think Tom Benson would like to stay here permanently and I, as mayor of San Antonio, would like to have the team stay here permanently."

Benson denied comment. Or, more accurately, he wouldn't talk with his lips moving.

The Saints could be able to bail out of their Superdome lease by invoking the force majeure clause in the contract by November 29. Even if the Saints don't try to cancel the deal based on the damage inflicted to the venue by Hurricane Katrina, Louisiana likely will be forced to default future payments due under the sweetheart corporate welfare deal that Benson finagled in 2001.

Look for this thing to get ugly as the last weeks of 2005 unfold. The NFL firmly believes that it and the Saints need to renew their commitment to the region in the wake of one of the worst natural disasters in the nation's history. The Commish would like to move the Saints' 2006 games to Baton Rouge as the Superdome is repaired. Such an arrangement could extend into 2007 or longer if the Superdome needs to be replaced.

The problem is that the Saints aren't selling many tickets for their October 30 game at Baton Rouge, which features the return to Louisiana of former LSU coach Nick Saban and former Saints running back Ricky Williams. So it's hard to imagine the Saints being able to sell out cavernous Tiger Stadium on a consistent basis -- or ever.

We still don't think that the Saints should get too excited about a permanent move to San Antonio. Sure, they managed to sell out Sunday's game against the Falcons. But many of those tickets were purchased before the Saints played 52 cough-up at Lambeau. And we've got a feeling that more than a few of the tickets purchased this past week were bought by fans interested in seeing the perp with the herp, Falcons quarterback Ron Mexico.

Even if the NFL would allow the Saints to leave Louisiana, the last destination the owners would approve is San Antonio. The worst-case scenario, as we see it, is that the league would arrange a buyout of the Bayou bumblers by SoCal interests, which would permit the team to be shipped to Los Angeles with new ownership.

I think whodi secretly wants the Saints to move to San Antonio so he can go to all the home games...

LMAO!!! I am the first one to be against this move. No doubt I like going to the games here, but I am going to see THE NEW ORLEANS SAINTS. Not the San Antonio Saints, and never would I want that to change. There's no secret, I have said that the mayor here, and now the governor are jerks. But I am not gonna ignore the possibility the team could move here. I don't know anyone who is a native New Orleanian who would want the team to leave that city, no matter where they live though. When we go to a superbowl, New Olreans Saints it's the name I wanna see. Nothing else would be nearly as satisfying.